Love Hina Fan Fiction ❯ Winter Rose ❯ Tenth Petal: The Matchmaker ( Chapter 9 )

Winter Rose

Tenth Petal: The Matchmaker

Love Hina is owned by Ken Akamatsu. All copyrights and legal papers are belonging to him ^_^.

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Chapter 8 Summary: Vincent tries to open up to people around him. He thinks this way he would be able to express himself better, and ultimately get to tell Motoko how he feels. However, there are obstacles...

Tenth Petal: The Matchmaker

December 1, Friday Evening

"...Happy Birthday Motoko-chan!" Keitaro, Naru, Kitsune, Shinobu, Su, Mutsumi, Sara, Seta and Haruka ended the song in unison that Friday night around the 17-year old turned 18 year-old modern-day samurai in the living room of Hinata Sou. In the center of the circle was Motoko (who was still in her uniform) and one of Shinobu's best homemade strawberry shortcake, adorned with sweets, vanilla frosting, and eighteen small white candles.

"Arigato Gozaimasu, Minna-san..." She beamed as she looked at everyone. Everyone who had given her much happiness in her stay with them.

"Okay, time to blow out the candles." Seta said.

"Okay, Motoko, make a wish!" Sara added.

Motoko closed her eyes for a while, pondering about Sara's suggestion.

/A wish...?/

/What... would I wish for...?/

At first, she thought of wishing to be a great and powerful kendoka*. Strong enough to even surpass her sister's superhuman skill.

But, something crossed her mind first.

"...um, minna-san, by the way, where is Vincent-san?"

"Looking for you boyfriend, Motoko-chan?" Kitsune taunted.

"Kitsune-san! Don't even joke like that! It's just... I'm just... we're just friends, that's all." Motoko said, her face once again becoming as crimson as her hakama.

"Just testing' ya..." She replied, unable to stop herself from giggling over her joke. "Anyway, the way you two always stick together nowadays make us feel like you two ARE, you know..."

"That'll be enough, Kitsune." Haruka said calmly, which made Kitsune pout a bit. "Anyway, if you're looking for that nephew of mine, he said he'll be coming a bit late tonight. He was going to `get something' from the store."

"Oh, I see..." Motoko seemed a bit down. Vincent had promised her yesterday that she would be there to be with her for her birthday.

"Hey, cheer up, Motoko-chan!" Naru said, tapping her black-haired friend's back. "It's your birthday today, so don't worry about anything. I'm pretty sure it's just the rush hour tonight. Just be happy, okay?"

"Yeah, Motoko! Oh, I forgot! I might overcook my dinner!" Su rushed to the kitchen, followed by Shinobu, who was calling out to her, "Su, don't eat Tama-chan!!!"

"She's still after that turtle?" Seta asked.

"Naturally, Seta-san. No one can deny how charming and eloquent Tama-chan is." Mutsumi told the Toudai substitute.

"Excuse me, uh, Motoko, can you blow out the candles now? I'm getting hungry." Sara interupted the chatter.

"Yes... I think... I know what I want to wish for..." Motoko said. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and focused on her wish. She was then able to blow out the candles, but one thing always popped on her mind.

/Vincent-san... where are you...?/

As if to answer her question, the door flew open, followed by shuffling footsteps along with a soft greeting of "I'm here... sorry I'm late."

She felt her heart skip a beat. She knew who that was.

When she opened her eyes, it beheld a vision of a weary-looking Vincent, clad in an unzipped black bomber jacket over a red shirt, and a pair of jeans. He was sporting a smile, something that was very unusual before, but as of the last week, it became a bit familiar to them. She doesn't know how the others feel about this `transformation' of his, but to her, his smile was something... endearing.

"Hiro-san! Where have you been?" Keitaro asked, surveying his cousin from top to bottom.

"I told you I needed to get something, so I'd be late." Vincent replied wearily as he turned and walked towards Motoko. "Um... Motoko... um... chan..." He said, trying to sound as `Japanese' as possible and making eye contact with her. As a result of being with her for some time during the past week, he found it a bit easier to be able to talk to her. "Happy Birthday."

"Arigato, Vincent-san." Motoko said as she sank into a bow.

"And, uh, I bought a little something for you... it's not much, but I hope you like it..." He took out a small red box from the inside pocket of his bomber jacket.

"Um... thanks..."

Motoko felt a bit awkward as she took the gift in her two hands. She felt a sort of happiness as she looked at the small gift and thought about what it could have inside. Vincent found his way through the others and sat next to her, anticipating her reply. Unfortunately for him, the others are eager to hear about it too.

"Okay, minna, nothing to see here. Let's move to the dining area for some food..." Haruka beckoned the whole group, except for Vincent and Motoko towards the dining area.

"Aww... Haruka-san, can I stay, even for a small bit?" Kitsune pleaded playfully.

"C'mon, Kitsune-san. Don't be so nosy. You too, Urashima." Naru said as she dragged the two to the kitchen.

"Ow, OW! You didn't have to pull me by the EAR, Narusegawa-chan..."

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME BY THAT NAME!!!"

When she was sure everyone except her and Vincent were in the vicinity, Motoko sighed and let out a smile to the person next to him.

"So, um, Vincent-san, I'm happy you made it here..."

"Hey, what are friends for anyway? So, why don't you open up your gift?"

"Oh, yeah, right..." She opened up the small box, and was quite shocked at what she saw.

She pulled out a shimmering, silver heart-shaped locket, attached to a silver chain. But, it was not this that surprised her. Engraved in its front, in a small handprint that she recognized as Vincent's, was the name `Motoko' written in the English alphabet. "I... I don't know what to say... Thank you..."

"You don't need to say anything." Vincent said. "If you wish, you can place the picture of the most important person to you in that locket. That way, he or she will always be close to your heart."

"...um... yes... I will..." Motoko said meekly.

"Um... Motoko...chan... I fit's it's okay with you... can I... um..." /Oh, damn it! Why can't I do it!? C'mon, I can do this! I must ask her out!/

"Yes...?"

"If... I... uh... you see..."

"Hiro-san, Motoko-chan, Dinner's here!" Naru cried out from behind them, making Vincent literally jump. When he gained his composure, he shook his head a bit and faced a confused Motoko. "Um, shall we go? I'm a bit hungry..."

"Yes, but... was there something you wanted to say to me a while ago?" Motoko asked.

"Oh... that... it's nothing, really. Maybe I'll tell you some other time."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

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December 18, Monday Morning

"Sis... Anne... Kei... please... don't leave me... I... I don't want to be alone..."

/Silence./

/Nothing but eerie silence./

/Why do I have to dream this dream...?/

"Sis! Anne! Kei! Where... where are you guys?"

"Am I ... all alone...?"

"No! I don't want to be alone!!!"

"Please, someone... anyone... please help me..."

Vincent woke up that morning with his migraine getting worse and worse. He always dreamed of the same thing for many months.

He was searching for... someone. But, he always ended up being alone.

/I guess, that's just fact/, he thought bitterly.

He got jerked his body up(which he found unusually heavy today), and moved towards the bathroom when he found an envelope at his doorstep.

/Hmm... an envelope?/

/A letter.../

/Who...?/

He picked it up and scanned it for any signature. He found none.

Intrigued, he returned to his room and sat down on one of his chairs near the window to examine the said letter. He opened the envelope, and found a neatly folded piece of paper. He opened it, and then read the contents.

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Dear Vincent-san,

I didn't want to tell you this during last time because I'm anxious about what the others would say. But, if it is alright with you, can we go out some time? That way, we can talk to each other privately. Please come up to the 3rd floor deck this afternoon so we can talk about it.

Motoko

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Vincent read the contents again and again. He didn't know if it was Motoko's handwriting or not, since he has yet to see her hand print. He knew that this might be some prank by the other residents. Then again, it might be true.

/Motoko... wants to go with me... (gulp) on a date...?/

/Nah... I think that's impossible.../

/Is it?/

/Only one way to find out.../

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"Well, this is the place..." Vincent told himself that afternoon. He was at the third floor deck, just as the letter had said, passing time by watching the clouds fly by him. If the author was Motoko, she was sure to be here any second.

Sure enough, as if on cue, the door opened, and Motoko stepped out. Upon seeing him, she blushed hotly and kept her head down as she moved next to him.

"Good afternoon, Motoko-chan..."

"Good afternoon, Vincent-san..."

After which was a long silence, in which each looked the other way. Vincent, tired of the silence, thought of a way to break the ice.

"So, um, Motoko-chan, I heard you were the champion Inter-School Winter Kendo Tournament..."

"Yes... I am..."

"Omedetou..."

"Arigato..."

Vincent then thought of this being the right time to tell her. They were alone, with no sign of the others. "Um... Motoko-chan..."

"Vincent-san..."

"...about this letter..." He was surprised to hear her saying the same, and holding a pice of neatly-folded paper similar to his.

"What...!?" Motoko said, looking as shocked as he is. "I mean, I never gave you a letter... how...?"

"You mean... it wasn't you...?" Vincent asked.

"Well... I never did write a letter since the past few months. Not that I know of..."

"I see... so... it wasn't you after all..."

"Yes... um... did you send me this?" Motoko handed him the piece of paper in her hands.

"Um... I didn't send you anything... now, um... here, you might want to read this..." Vincent gave her the letter he had. After which, he opened up the one she gave him and read it.

It had almost the same content as his, only this time, it was `him' who was asking Motoko out on a date. "Hmmm... it look's like we've been set up..."

"By whom?" Motoko asked.

"I don't know..." Vincent answered. "So... it wasn't you after all..." he sighed, and then let out a small frown.

"I see..." Motoko said.

"But... um... Motoko-chan..." Vincent began. "If it's okay with you, if... if we could... go out..?"

"Go out? Like... a date...?" Motoko was still not very comfortable with the idea.

"Well... it doesn't necessarily have to be one..." Vincent answered. "I mean, we could just, you know, have some fun, spend an afternoon together as... friends..." he didn't know how Motoko was to respond to this, but he felt his soul a bit crushed finding out that it wasn't her who wanted to go.

"I... I would be delighted to do so..." She answered.

Her affirmation gave him a soothing feeling. A feeling of certainty. Soemthign he hs not felt for a long time.

"Thank you... you don't know how much this means to me..."

"Yes... then... when shall it be...?"

Vincent thought for a while, and found the perfect time for it. "Is it okay on Christmas Eve? It's, um... this Sunday, and I'd be happy if you could be with me that time..."

"Yes... this Sunday would do fine." Motoko affirmed

"Alright... so, see you later?"

"Yes... I shall see you later... "

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Meanwhile, in Naru's room, Su, Kitsune, Naru, and Mutsumi were eagerly watching Su's monitor. It was showing Vincent and Motoko leaving in separate ways after agreeing about going out together that Christmas Eve.

"See, I told you they just needed the right direction." Kitsune said mischievously.

"But, I can't help but feel that we just forced them into it..." Naru said.

"Don't worry about it. I'm happy, they're happy, everyone's happy." Kitsune told her best friend. "Besides, they'll be so caught up in the moment they'll forget about this little thing."

"Yes, don't worry about it, Naru-chan." Mutsumi supported Kitusne. "They're happy, so let's just leave it to that..."

"I guess so..."

"Okay, so, I'll be down for a drink. Who's with me?" Kitsune asked the three.

"I'll have to pass this one." Naru said.

"Me too..." Mutsumi said.

"Let's go!" Su was going to follow Kitusne when Naru kept her down.

"You're too young to drink, Su-chan." Naru said.

"Aww... bummer..."

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Author's Notes:

Okay, so I tweaked the LH universe a bit... please forgive me...

Kendoka roughly translates as `practitioner of kendo'. What's kendo? Try searching it on your PC.

Thanks to my small bunch of reviewers... I promise you I will at all cost finish this one before the year ends...

Domo Crocodile...uh... Domo Alligator Got-I-Must... uh, Domo Arigato Gozaimasu... that's it! Domo Arigato Gozaimasu for taking your time in reading my fanfic!!! ^_^

Till next chapter, peace out.

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Love Hina © Ken Akamatsu